Nightmares
by hollybridgetpeppermint
Summary: Rosethorn has been having nightmares. But what do they mean...and why are they about Crane? RC
1. Dreaming

**Disclaimer: The lovebirds aren't mine, nor are any of the other characters. And I'm too tired to think of anything better than that right now. Heck, I even started a sentence with 'and', which, if you know me, tells you exactly how tired I am, since I love good grammar.**

**Anywho…I should be able to update fairly regularly on this story, since I've been a good girl and written it all out before I posted it. However, don't kill me if I don't update every day, since I have an immensely busy schedule. It will most likely be about every other day that I post a new chapter.**

**Also, the chapters are short. I know that, and you have been warned. So please don't review complaining about it. I normally write pretty long chapters (actually, usually I write LONG chapters to begin with, and then they get shorter and shorter…but that's beside the point), so I sort of needed a break from that.**

**Now then…on to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter One: Dreaming**

"_Pirate attack!"_

_Two words. Two very simple words. But these words were enough to strike terror into the hearts of anyone and everyone who heard them._

_Rosethorn grimaced. She knew the pirates were attacking, so the words didn't surprise her, but they still scared her a little. However, she would deal with the fear as she dealt with all fear—ignore it and move on, doing what needed to be done._

_She ran out of Discipline cottage towards the wall, where she could see the large pirate fleet. And suddenly Briar, the girls, Niko, Frostpine, and Lark were with her, running as she was to reach the wall, their goal. They moved as one, legs pumping at the same speed, feet hitting the ground at the same moment. At the exact time she reached the wall, the others did, too. Now in single file, they climbed the stairs and stood at the top. She accepted a handful of packets from Briar, and, one by one, threw them out to the shore near the fleet. As they flew through the air, she called on her magic, and the seeds in the packets grew quickly. Vicious thorns sprang out and spread themselves along the shore._

_A hand touched her shoulder, and she spun around to see Crane standing there. What was he doing? He beckoned to her. Without speaking, he began to walk towards the edge of the wall. Briar continued to throw packets of seeds and make them grow. The thorns punched through the packets faster than the pieces of cloth fell apart. She knew that if anyone fell off the wall, they would be dead in a matter of moments. Yet here was Crane, walking right on the edge, and beckoning to her to follow._

_She wouldn't! She tried to grab his habit sleeve, to stop him from falling, but he pulled away and continued his teetering walk. In a moment he would—_

_He lost his balance and fell into the thorns. She screamed and covered her eyes, unwilling to see any more._

Rosethorn woke up, gasping and sweating. After a moment, she realized she was on the floor, writhing among twisted covers. With a moan, she got up and sat on the bed again.

A minute passed, then two, then three—

A tall shadow crept into the room. "What happened, Rosie?" asked Lark's gentle voice.

"It was just a nightmare," said Rosethorn, trying to sound casual and failing miserably. "J-just a stupid, silly…" She trailed off and realized there were tears rolling down her cheeks. She brushed them away impatiently.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

A long silence followed. At last, Rosethorn said brokenly, "It was Crane. We…we were under pirate attack. Just like last summer. Briar and I were growing those thorns and he—Crane—started walking along the edge of the wall. He wanted me to come too. I wouldn't. I grabbed the sleeve of his habit, but he yanked away from me—and then he fell…" She stopped, feeling hot tears rise in her eyes again and blinking them angrily away. "I just don't understand it. If it had been you, or Briar, or one of the girls…but why Crane? It's not like I would care that much if he died in real life."

"Are you sure?" asked Lark, as gently as she could.

"I…" She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Maybe you should talk to Crane about it. He might know what's bothering you."

Rosethorn looked at her, astonished. "_Talk_ to him? This is Crane we're talking about, not some namby-pamby nonsensical Water dedicate."

Lark laughed. "I realize that. But you never know. Perhaps he could be of some help."

"Perhaps," muttered Rosethorn. "Perhaps…if pigs flew and Mila of the Grain was actually my friend Sally."

"Well, think about it, anyway," advised the other dedicate, getting up to hide her grin. "Good night."

"Good night," mumbled Rosethorn, lying back down and pulling the covers up to her chin.

Ask Crane about it. There was an idea. What kind of half-cooked idiot did Lark think she was? And yet—something about it struck a chord within her. Maybe Lark was right. Maybe he could help. Ask Crane…

Rosethorn fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Think it should be hung in the well? Review and tell me! If you don't, I'll send my army of giant marshmallows to eat you! Muahaha!**

**Anywho…**

**See ya next chappie!**

**BANZAI!**

**hollybridgetpeppermint**


	2. Talking

**Disclaimer: Don't own them and really don't have time for this, I'm supposed to be leaving.**

**Okay people, here's ch. 2 and I am going to be gone for a day or so…probably expect the next chappie on Sunday (today is Saturday for me).**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Two: Talking**

The next morning, much to her own surprise, Rosethorn took Lark's advice and went to talk to Crane.

_This will be…awkward_, she thought as she walked.

Oh, was she ever right.

She knocked on the greenhouse door.

"Yes?" came a voice from inside. A moment later, the door opened, and a man in a yellow habit with a black stripe around the hem was standing there, looking quite surprised.

"Rosethorn?"

"Crane. I need to talk to you."

"Oh. Come in."

She stepped inside. Dedicates and novices in white, yellow, and blue were all around. All of them stopped their work to stare at Rosethorn and Crane as the two passed.

After a moment, Crane stopped. "What is it?"

She sighed. "Can we talk somewhere…alone?" she said quietly.

"Of course," he said, looking confused, and led her out of the main room into another smaller one.

He shut the door. "Now, what is it?"

"I—I have a problem," she said, not sure how to begin now that she'd got this far.

"Okaaaayyy…" He was obviously waiting for more.

"I've been having nightmares."

"And this has what to do with me?"

"You're…in them." She was highly uncomfortable now.

He must have seen her distress, for he said, more kindly than usual, "Do you want to tell me?"

"Well…you remember when we were under pirate attack. And those thorns." When he nodded, she continued. "That was happening again. You were walking along the edge of the wall, and you wanted me to walk with you. And then…I grabbed you and tried to get you to come back, and you pulled away…and you fell in."

After a silence that seemed to last an eternity, he said, "Oh."

"I talked to Lark about it, and she said to ask you. That maybe you knew what was bothering me."

Still he was quiet, and she added impatiently, "Do you?"

"I—I think I might."

"_Well?_"

"I'll show you. But first you have to promise not to be mad at me."

She looked at him uncertainly. "I promise."

"All right then. Close your eyes."

Suspiciously, she obeyed. The next thing she knew, there was something touching her lips.

She opened her eyes and realized he was kissing her.

**A/N: Wahaha…cliffie! I don't have time for this…review please! Seeya!**


	3. Listening

**Disclaimer: Hey everyone! Back up with another chappie of this story! Hope you like it (and weren't too frustrated by the cliffie)!**

**A/N: Sooo…uh…I don't own Rosie or Crane or Lark or Briar or Sandry or Daja or Tris or Niko or Frostpine or…(gasp gasp) Well, you get the idea.**

_**The mix-up above is a symbol of exactly how tired I am right now.**_

**And now that we've been through that, on to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Listening**

"What…?" she tried to say. Unfortunately, it is hard to talk when you're being kissed. She stumbled backwards, her arms flailing, and fell on her rear end.

Looking rather embarrassed, Crane held out his hand to help her up. She stared at it for a second, then took it and let him pull her to her feet.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I…"

"And what does it have to do with my dream?" she added angrily.

"Um…"

"Oh, never mind! If you're not going to be coherent, forget it!" she snapped, and stormed out of the greenhouse, leaving an astonished but frustrated Crane behind.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

_She was using her magic to make the seeds in her packets grow into thorns. A hand on her shoulder stopped her. She spun around to see Crane standing there. What was he doing? He beckoned to her. Without speaking, he began to walk towards the edge of the wall. Briar continued to throw packets of seeds and make them grow. The thorns punched through the packets faster than the pieces of cloth fell apart. She knew that if anyone fell off the wall, they would be dead in a matter of moments. Yet here was Crane, walking right on the edge, and beckoning to her to follow._

_She wouldn't! She tried to grab his habit sleeve, to stop him from falling, but he pulled away and continued his teetering walk. In a moment he would—_

_He lost his balance and fell into the thorns. She screamed and covered her eyes, unwilling to see any more._

Lark slipped into her room. "Did you have the dream again?" she asked the sobbing Rosethorn.

"Y-yes," Rosethorn whispered, biting her lip to try and stop the tears.

There was a long silence. Finally Lark asked, "Did you ever talk to him about it?"

"Earlier today. And…and Lark, he _kissed_ me!"

"What did you do?"

"I—I pulled away. And then I asked him why. All he could do was stutter, and I…yelled at him and left."

"Oh."

There was a silence. Then Lark said softly, "Maybe you should try again to talk to him. Go and apologize, and then ask him for suggestions."

"I…but…"

"I know you don't like apologizing to people. But don't you think it would help?" asked Lark gently.

"I don't know," admitted Rosethorn. "I just…it doesn't…I'm afraid."

"I know." She sighed. "Like I said before…think about it," she said, standing up. "Good night."

"Okay," Rosethorn agreed. "Good night."

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

After three more nights of having the dream, Rosethorn gave in and went over to the greenhouse to talk to Crane again.

He opened the door and stared at her standing there.

"Rosethorn?" he asked finally.

"Crane," she responded. "We need to talk." _Déjà vu_, she thought miserably.

He looked at her rather suspiciously. "What about?"

"First, I should…er…apologize. For what happened a few days ago."

At this, he smiled. "Why don't you come in?" he asked, and led her to the small room they'd been in when they had talked before. "Apology accepted," he added as he shut the door. "Now, what did you need?"

"I've been having the dreams again. And I was wondering…um…whether you had any suggestions."

"I don't know. Let me think a little."

After some minutes of quiet, he sighed. "I think…" He paused, and then continued. "Well, before I say this, you should know that as much as it may sound like it, I'm not trying to be arrogant or to…use you or anything."

"Okay," she said uncertainly.

"I think that for a few weeks, you should…try to find signs of being—being in love. Just try. And if you—if you felt comfortable, maybe it would help to let me kiss you—just once, unless…well, anyway…maybe you could just try. And whatever you decided at the end of two or three weeks, I would accept."

For a few minutes, she simply watched him. Finally, she said, "That sounds reasonable enough, I suppose."

He nodded. An awkward silence fell again.

After a while, Crane said uncomfortably, "Do you want me to…erm…to kiss you? Once? To see what…" He trailed off.

"I—do you really think that would help?" she asked.

"I think so."

She swallowed hard and said, "Okay, then."

"All right," he said, moving forward. "First of all, though…follow your impulses. If you can't stand it, stop. Okay?"

She nodded.

"Good," he said. "It…might help you to close your eyes."

Rosethorn obeyed, and in a moment, she felt his lips gently touch hers.

_Follow your impulses_, she heard his voice replay in her head. Before she knew it, she was kissing him back.

After a few moments, the kiss broke. She stared at him, dazed. He took her hands. "Was that so awful?" he asked her gently.

"No," she whispered.

He nodded. "Keep watching. That's all I ask," he said quietly, and then let go. "You should probably go back now. I believe it's almost midday, and I'm sure your student needs you," he told her.

Still slightly confused, she nodded, and stumbled towards the door.

* * *

**A/N: By the way, people…did I mention I have carpal tunnel, and that's why I haven't been writing so much? Well, I actually found out today that it's not 'classic carpal tunnel', but it's something like it. Anywho…yeah.**

**Tune in soon for the next chappie! BANZAI!**

**hollybridgetpeppermint**


	4. Trying

**Disclaimer: Don't own Rosie or Crane. (Although if I were Artemis Fowl, I would find a way to steal them. (grin))**

**Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry everyone! I've been unbelievably busy…(sigh) Stupid homework.**

**Anywho…here's chapter four! Probably the chapter that made me laugh the most…well, besides the fluffy chapters at the end—oops, I wasn't supposed to say that! (twiddles thumbs and whistles)**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Trying**

"Good morning," came Crane's overly cheerful voice for six in the morning (or so it seemed to Rosethorn).

"Go away," she mumbled, slumping over the table, her tea sloshing over the edges of the cup and onto her rumpled clothes. She didn't really care.

"Lark obviously woke you up. Did she tell you where we're going?"

"Forest."

"Good. Well, come on then."

"Tea."

"Oh."

"Have it," she grunted, still extremely sleepy.

"Um…right," he said, uncertain as to what she meant but unwilling to show it.

"Have it!" she said again, half-waving her arm. Crane frowned in thought, but said nothing. Which, apparently, was the wrong thing to do.

"_Have it!_" she snapped, moving her arm more violently. Well, as much as anyone could snap when they were half asleep.

"She means, you should sit down and have some tea," explained Lark, grinning as she entered the room.

"Why doesn't she just say that, then?" he asked, frustrated.

"She's too sleepy."

"Am not," said Rosethorn. "Fine. Not tired. Cold. More."

With a grin at Crane, Lark took her friend's cup and poured more tea into it.

"There you go, Rosie," she said, trying not to laugh.

Crane, on the other hand, looked quite disgruntled. "Can't she wake up more?"  
"_Awake_!" said Rosethorn loudly.

"Okay, okay! You're awake," he said, surprised.

She sighed and took another sip of tea, barely managing to keep it all either in the cup or her mouth.

"Well, Crane. You heard her," Lark told him. "Sit down. Have some tea. Relax."

He shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and obeyed. Lark poured him some tea, and he drank it slowly, watching Rosethorn thoughtfully.

After a while, her voice startled him. "Crane? Are you ready to go, or have you gotten hopelessly lost in dreamworld? Should I find you a map?"

"Ah. You're awake. Really awake this time," he added with a grin.

"Er…sorry about that. I'm always grumpy in the morning. And my brain does fine, but my mouth just can't seem to cooperate."

"In the morning?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

She smiled sheepishly. "Okay, all the time."

He grinned at her. "Shall we go?" he asked, gallantly offering her his arm.

Grinning back, she took it. "Okay. Let us be off, then, kind sir. Farewell, dear friend, and pray we shall meet again soon!"

"Farewell, milady," said Lark, laughing. Going to the door after them, she watched as they disappeared along the spiral path. Then she went back to the table.

"They make a good couple," she murmured with a smile, pouring herself more tea.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

"So," said Rosethorn, settling herself on the ground, "what flowers are we observing?"

"Whatever you want," Crane replied. She was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that he was sitting only about an inch away from her. She almost moved away, but decided not to hurt him, and sat there forcing herself to remain calm. After a moment, she saw him notice her discomfort. He smiled at her. Then, half to her relief and half, surprisingly, to her dismay, he scooted over a little bit. She gave him a weak smile in return, and he went back to rummaging in the bag that he carried.

"Here," he said, pulling out a notebook and pencil and handing them to her. He got more for himself, and then sat with his back against a tree, looking around, occasionally making notes or sketches in his notebook.

Rosethorn tried to do the same, but she couldn't concentrate. It was too loud. She'd thought it was supposed to be silent in a forest. It had always been silent the times she'd done this before (when she could get Briar to be quiet, that was). But now she heard the wind rustling, the birds chirping, the leaves shifting—all abnormally loudly, she thought.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "TURN IT DOWN!" she shouted.

Crane jumped and looked at her in surprise. "Turn what down?" he asked, confused.

"Turn the stupid nature sounds down!" she said furiously, and then realized how ridiculous she sounded. "Um…"

But he was grinning. "Should we move?" he asked pleasantly.

She looked at the ground, embarrassed. "No. I just…never mind. I'm fine."

"Okay," he said with a shrug. "If you're sure." Then he went back to his observations.

Again, she tried to follow suit. Unfortunately, it now seemed too quiet. She had scared all the animals away with her yell, so there were no leaves shifting or birds chirping, and the wind seemed to have died down. She couldn't think.

After a while, she gave up. "Oh, this is no good!"

He looked at her in surprise. "Something wrong?"

"I can't hear myself think!"

"But it's practically silent out here."

"Exactly!"

He began to chuckle. "You know, you're not making any sense whatsoever."

She glared at him. "I know."

"Here, let me help," he said after a moment. Moving back over towards her, he put his arm around her. She stiffened, but then relaxed.

"Now," he said, pointing. "Look there." Her eyes followed his finger to a strange-shaped plant.

"Hmm…" she said. "I wonder what that is?"

"Draw it," he told her. "You're a better artist than I am, anyway. I think you're better than most plant mages, actually."  
She looked away from the plant to squint at him suspiciously. "Was that a compliment?"  
He grinned mischievously. "Maybe," he said, and busied himself with his notes.

She watched him for a moment, then sighed and began to draw.

* * *

**A/N: Um…review please. And other than that…if anyone has read the most recent Artemis Fowl book (The Lost Colony) and wants to join my upcoming I Hate Minerva Club, please let me know so I can put you on my IHMC list!**

**BANZAI!!!**

**hollybridgetpeppermint**


	5. Wondering

**Disclaimer: Uh…my wrist hurts cause of my carpal tunnel, so let's leave it at "don't own 'em."**

**Hey, everyone! You got lucky today, since I posted chapter four yesterday. This one's short, anyway, so…yeah.**

**Have fun!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Wondering**

Lark was waiting for them at Discipline with lunch and hot tea.

"So, how was your observation time?" she asked, ladling soup into bowls.

"It was pretty good," said Rosethorn. "I didn't get a lot done at first because I couldn't concentrate. Once we figured it out, though, it was fine."

Crane nodded his agreement, and they sat down to have lunch.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

Three weeks had passed since Rosethorn agreed to try Crane's idea. Now it was time to decide. She lay on her bed, her eyes closed, mulling over what she had felt in the last little while.

As much as she hated to admit it, all the signs pointed to her being in love with him. She had been uncomfortable when he was near her, yet strangely frustrated when he left. Just talking to him had made her happier, and when he had kissed her that time, she'd kissed back without thinking about it.

So that meant…

_Okay, whoever's listening, record this historical moment. I am about to say something I had never dreamed of saying until a little while ago._

_I'm in love with Crane._

She sighed with relief. It did feel good to admit it.

Then, however, a thought struck her. What if he didn't care about her anymore? After all, she hadn't been her best these last few weeks. On the contrary, she had sometimes acted as if she had no sense at all. She had been, she thought miserably, rather like one of those Water dedicates—always fluttering about, unsure of herself, babbling on and on like a brook rushing over stones.

She knew Crane disliked the Water dedicates too. What if that meant he'd stopped loving her?

He probably had. She had been awful; he'd probably seen what he thought she was really like and didn't care anymore.

Sighing, she wondered what to do. Should she tell him how she felt? Maybe…but if he didn't want to hear it, she was in trouble. What if she told him, and he didn't love her? Or worse, what if she told him, he didn't love her, and he pretended he did so he wouldn't hurt her?

So then she shouldn't tell him. Except…what if he did love her, and thought she didn't care about him? Then he would be hurt, and she would be hurt, and it would all be a waste. And it would hurt if she didn't tell him. But it would also hurt if she did tell him and he didn't want her.

What was she going to do?

Rosethorn moaned and opened her eyes. She would go tell him now. No, she couldn't. She sank back onto the bed. The next second she was sitting up again. She had to. But she couldn't. She growled in frustration. This was ridiculous! She had to make up her mind.

Well, she knew she wouldn't be able to bear it if she told him and he didn't care. So she'd just have to not tell him and deal with the pain.

_What if…?_

Rosethorn firmly squashed those thoughts and went to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Review please! (grin)**

**BANZAI!**

**hollybridgetpeppermint**


	6. Admitting

**Disclaimer: Umm…well, they're not mine…and I don't have time for this.**

**Enjoy, everyone! (My favorite part of the story is from this chapter on.)**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Admitting**

The next day, Rosethorn tried to avoid Crane as much as possible. However, she couldn't get away with it for very long.

He finally cornered her by knocking on the door of Discipline when she was busy. Lark let him in, and of course she insisted that Rosethorn talk to him. "It's rude not to, when he came to see you," she said firmly, pushing her friend in the direction of the living room. "Go on."

Rosethorn sighed and went.

"Hello, Crane," she said quietly, sitting in a chair as far away from him as possible, just in case. She didn't want to accidentally obey a sudden urge to tell him how she felt.

"Rosethorn…" he began uncertainly. He stopped, cleared his throat, and continued. "What…why…?"

She looked at the ground. She couldn't watch him any more, for fear she'd blurt it out.

Rosethorn didn't realize he'd come up next to her chair until he put two fingers under her chin and lifted it up so she would look into his eyes. "Why are you avoiding me?" he asked her softly.

"I—I…" she stuttered, unable to formulate an answer.

"All right, let's try a different question. Have you decided yet?"  
"Decided what?"

"Come on. Don't play dumb. Have you decided whether…erm…whether you can love me or not?" He was a bit uncomfortable now, but he gazed into her eyes steadily.

This—or something else, she wasn't sure what—must have made her a bit too nervous, because she suddenly said loudly, "Like you care!"

He looked puzzled and a little hurt. "What do you mean? Of course I care. I asked you to figure it out, didn't I?"

Rosethorn was ashamed of that hurt. "I just…thought…" she whispered.

"Thought what?"

She looked away. "I thought that maybe…y-you wouldn't care about me anymore."

"Look at me," he told her gently. She obeyed. "Now, why would you think that?"

"I don't know. You've seen all my bad sides these last few weeks. You've seen me too tired in the morning, and grumpy all day, and dumb for no reason…" She trailed off.

"And you thought that would make me love you any less?" he asked. She nodded, and Crane looked at her affectionately. "Oh, Rosie," he said quietly, and she half-smiled at the sound of the nickname coming out of his mouth. "You shouldn't have worried. These last few weeks have only convinced me to love you more." She smiled again, properly, at that.

There was a silence, and then he said abruptly, "But it won't do any good if you don't love me back. I made a promise that I would accept whatever you said, and I will, but…I…well, yes." He stopped for a moment, waiting. When she didn't answer, he asked her nervously, "Um…so what's your decision?"

"My decision. I think…" Rosethorn paused for a moment, unsure of how to say it, then plunged right in, glad to be saying it at all. "I think I'm in love," she said.

He took a breath, looking as though he could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Really?"

"Yes," she assured him, unable to keep a huge smile from spreading across her face. He smiled back, glowing like a huge weight had been taken off of his shoulders, and held out his arms. She fell into them, suddenly laughing like a maniac, and hugged him tightly, laying her head on his shoulder. He laughed too, holding her just as tightly as she held him.

After a few minutes, they calmed. She sat up then, looking at him joyously. It was all right, he loved her, and she loved him back…she still couldn't quite seem to get it into her head.

"Rosethorn?" he said.

"Yes?"

"I've just realized: throughout all that, I never told you properly that I loved you."

"Oh," she said.

They were quiet for a second, and then he spoke again. "Rosethorn?"  
"Hmm?"

"I love you," he said, and kissed her.

* * *

**A/N: Yay, fluff! (grin) Sorry to people who don't like it…what can I say? I'm a sucker for fluff.**

**Anywho…review please! See ya next chappie!**


	7. Asking

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rosie or Crane or Moonstream or Lark or Briar or this computer (it's my mom's) or the ice cream in the freezer or…wait a second! Ice cream! (goes off to eat some)**

**So anywho…here's chapter seven…I hope you like it! (Yes, I know most of it's kind of filler stuff, so you don't have to tell me that in your REVIEW (chokecoughchokeHINTHINTchokecough).) So…yeah. Enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Asking**

"So…you two are telling me that you want to get married?" asked Moonstream incredulously. She didn't particularly sound surprised, but it was somehow obvious that she was.

Crane nodded nervously. "Is that allowed?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I think it is, provided your dedication to your respective temples is not interrupted, but…I don't quite know. I'll have to figure it out. Give me a few days."

Both nodded this time. Standing up, they left the office.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

When they got back to Discipline, they sat on a couch in the living room. Apprehensive, Rosethorn looked at Crane, her glance asking what they were getting themselves into. He smiled at her reassuringly, and she leaned against him. He slid his arm around her.

Nothing was said for a while. When they had been quiet for a long time, they heard the door open. Lark came in and smiled at the sight of them. She was still getting used to seeing them together, and was also extremely happy about the way things had turned out.

"Hi," said Rosethorn tiredly. Her friend immediately sensed the worry and came over to sit in a chair near the two.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

Rosethorn and Crane exchanged glances. "She said she wasn't sure," Crane explained quietly. "She said she needed a few days to figure it out."

Lark bit her lip. "Oh dear. At least it doesn't deny all hope, though."

Rosethorn nodded.

"Rosethorn?" came a voice from her workroom. "Rosethorn, I need help with—oh." Briar emerged, carefully carrying a large plant in both arms. "Um…never mind," he added, starting back.

"Wait," she said, sitting up straighter. "I'll help. What is it you need?"

"It won't listen to me," he told her, bringing the plant over to her. "I don't know why."

"Hmm." She placed a hand on one of its leaves, closing her eyes briefly. "I need more people. Help me?" she asked, addressing both Briar and Crane.

The boy nodded and gently curled his fingers around the stem. Crane laid his hand over Rosethorn's, and she turned her head to smile at him before she concentrated again. "Meditation breathing," she instructed, which was of no use, as both of the other mages were already doing this. She hastened to join them, feeling her power combine with theirs and rush into the plant. Grudgingly, it obliged, and some of its leaves twisted, changing position.

Opening her eyes, she grinned at Briar. "Thanks," he said, and vanished into the workroom once more.

Rosethorn settled against Crane, sighing with contentment.

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**A/N: Ah, fluffy goodness! (Even though it is filler…it's still fluff!)**

**By the way…I hope I don't sound conceited…I don't mean to be. I get just as much of an 'Ah, yes!' mood from other people's fluff, as long as it's clean.**

**Crud. That was a ramble, wasn't it? Oh well…**

**Review please!**

**BANZAI!**

**hollybridgetpeppermint**

**P.S. Would you mind spreading the word about this story? I'm starting to feel slightly unloved because no one's reviewing…**


	8. Loving

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rosie, Crane, the kids, Niko, Lark, Frostpine, meditating, or the song. I wish I owned something…oh well. I own my army of giant marshmallows who will eat you if you don't review, and my Almighty Authoress Powers!**

**Enjoy this, it's the second-to-last chapter! Only one more to go! (cries)**

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**Chapter Eight: Loving**

Crane grinned at his new wife. "I still can't believe we're actually married."

She grinned back, her eyes flashing mischievously, and then smacked him lightly in the shoulder.

"Hey!" he protested, attempting to keep a straight face and failing miserably. "What was that for?"

"That," Rosethorn informed him, "was for not believing it."

"Oh, come on. Look me in the eyes and tell me you haven't thought that at least once."

"Well, not since the first hour after the wedding," she said, looking into his eyes.

His only response was to lean forward and kiss her.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

"So," said Lark, "how's the new couple?"

Rosethorn smiled. "I think we're doing fine."

Her friend laughed. "And to think things turned out this way because you were having nightmares."

"You're right."

The door burst open, and the sound of singing greeted the dedicates as their students burst in, arm in arm, happily belting out in pleasant, if slightly off-key, voices:

"We're off to see the Wizard,

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!"

They were followed by Niko and Frostpine, who both had their fingers stuffed in their ears and looked as though they had not enjoyed the last hour, during which they had tried to meditate with their young charges.

Rosethorn shook her head. "I knew we shouldn't have let them watch that movie."

Sandry grinned at her. "But it was such a good movie!"

"A good movie, yes," said Niko, scowling. "But only because the people in the movie can actually sing!"

Sandry pouted. "We can sing!"

"Right," Frostpine said. "And Hakkoi hates smith work." He laughed. "So, Crane, how are you dealing with Rosethorn? Obviously you haven't killed each other yet, but…"

There was no answer. Everyone looked at Crane, to find that he was covering his ears and looking at the children with his "Bag" face on.

Rosethorn elbowed him, and he removed his hands. "What?"

"Frostpine asked you a question," she told him, her eyebrows raised.

"Oh. Would you repeat it?" he asked, turning to Frostpine.

Rosethorn poked him. "Don't be so elegant."

He poked her right back. "Don't be so wild."

She dug her finger into his arm. He made a noise of pain and glared at her. "What?"

"Kiss me."

At this, his look softened, and he did. Sandry giggled. Daja and Tris grinned at each other. Niko and Frostpine rolled their eyes, and Lark smiled. Briar applauded, shouting, "PDA! PDA!" and pointing wildly at the two.

Without breaking the kiss, Rosethorn reached out and hit him.

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**A/N: Wahaha!**

**Anywho…oh yeah, thanks to the people who reviewed. I have one reply, and if you reviewed and you have an account but I didn't reply to you, my apologies. (mutters) Stupid carpal tunnel syndrome thingy. (Don't you just love the way I make myself so very clear when I talk? (grin))**

**Reply to RACHEL: Oh. The review is much appreciated, and that was a good idea…but I kind of wrote this a while ago and wrote it ALL beforehand so I wouldn't have so many problems posting within a reasonable time frame. (Example: My most popular Artemis Fowl fic, Now or Never. I'm having writer's block, not to mention all the issues that come with having this carpal tunnel thing, so I haven't posted in like two months or something. And for anyone who's read that, I MAY be posting again sort of soon…as soon as I figure out how to start the chapter. But we're coming to the end! (cries) Or almost the end, anyway.) In any case, like I said, I like the idea and stuff…but I'd already written it. Sorry, and thanks.**

**Review please, everyone! Unless, of course, you'd prefer to be eaten by giant marshmallows...**

**Oh, and once again...spread the word if you like this story, please? I still feel unloved. I have less reviews than I have chapters...(sigh)**


	9. Dreaming Again

**Disclaimer: Don't own any of them.**

**A/N: Oh. My. Gosh.**

**I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO****OOOOO SORRY!!!**

**I mean, really, I don't exactly have an excuse for leaving this chapter off so long, except that I'd always forget I hadn't posted it yet. And it's the last chapter, and all that, so that makes it even worse!**

**As I said, I am reallyreallyreally sorry, and completely and utterly ashamed of myself.**

**I hope you'll forgive me, because I do have a small surprise for you…**

**But read the chapter first, since you've waited so long for it.**

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**_BTW, make sure to read the dream carefully this chapter..._**

**

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**Chapter Nine: Dreaming (Again)**

_"Pirate attack!"_

_Two words. Two very simple words. But these words were enough to strike terror into the hearts of anyone and everyone who heard them._

_Rosethorn grimaced. She knew the pirates were attacking, so the words didn't surprise her, but they still scared her a little. However, she would deal with the fear as she dealt with all fear—ignore it and move on, doing what needed to be done._

_She ran out of Discipline cottage towards the wall, where she could see the large pirate fleet. And suddenly Briar, the girls, Niko, Frostpine, and Lark were with her, running as she was to reach the wall, their goal. They moved as one, legs pumping at the same speed, feet hitting the ground at the same moment. At the exact time she reached the wall, the others did, too. Now in single file, they climbed the stairs and stood at the top. She accepted a handful of packets from Briar, and, one by one, threw them out to the shore near the fleet. As they flew through the air, she called on her magic, and the seeds in the packets grew quickly. Vicious thorns sprang out and spread themselves along the shore._

_A hand touched her shoulder, and she spun around to see Crane standing there. What was he doing? He beckoned to her. Without speaking, he began to walk towards the edge of the wall. Briar continued to throw packets of seeds and make them grow. The thorns punched through the packets faster than the pieces of cloth fell apart. She knew that if anyone fell off the wall, they would be dead in a matter of moments. Yet here was Crane, walking right on the edge, and beckoning to her to follow._

_She wouldn't! She reached out and grabbed his habit sleeve, hoping to stop his fall. Her fingers caught at the material just as he lost his balance. He started to fall, and she pulled, so that he came towards her instead. They fell over on the wall, both panting slightly from fear._

_Rosethorn sat up. Looking at Crane across from her, she felt immense satisfaction._

_He was safe._

Rosethorn stirred and opened her eyes slowly. Yawning, she sat up in bed, smiling at the sight of her husband's messy hair on his pillow. A second later, he woke too, looking rather concerned.

"Rosethorn? Are you all right?" he asked. "It's two in the morning."

"I know," she said.

"What happened? Did you have a nightmare?"

She looked at him, a smile creeping over her face, and lay down again, snuggling back into the covers.

"No," she said, feeling herself get sleepy once more. "It was just a dream."

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**A/N: Soooo…about that surprise…**

**I'm writing a sequel! (grin)**

**So if any of you liked this story…**

**It's not exactly a fluff story, although it has little fluffy hints here and there. It's about…well, I shouldn't tell you. But the pairings are R/C and Briar/Tris (well, there's one more, but I can't tell you that one or I'll give things away). Anywho…**

**There's a prophecy in it, which goes like this:**

**A shadow will fall over Winding Circle,**

**And magic begin to ebb;**

**The one who is responsible**

**Will be caught in a spider's web.**

**When one and one join to make one**

**As not for a hundred years,**

**The chosen third will power restore,**

**And rid us of our fears.**

**So whaddya think? Is it really stupid? I hope not…**

**Can you figure it out? PM me if you can…**

**Until then,**

**BANZAI!!!**

**hollybridgetpeppermint**

**P.S. To all of you who were confused last chappie by the expression PDA, it stands for Public Display of Affection! (grin)**


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